UTSA hosts Gov. Rick Perry for July 31 ceremonial bill signings

(July 30, 2009)--UTSA President Ricardo Romo will welcome Gov. Rick Perry and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte to the UTSA Main Campus for the ceremonial signing of two bills at 3 p.m., Friday, July 31 in the Main Building first-floor lobby. Authored by Van de Putte, Senate bills 93 and 297 will extend opportunities for access to higher education to the military community and families.

Senate Bill 93 relates to tuition and fee exemptions for certain military personnel and their dependents or spouses and permits those personnel to assign the exemption to a child. Senate Bill 297 relates to resident tuition rates and fees at public institutions of higher education for certain veterans and service members and their spouses and children.

UTSA students, military personnel and community business leaders will join Perry, Van de Putte and Romo at the signing.

UTSA is home to Air Force ROTC Detachment 842, The Roadrunners. In fall 2008, 226 cadets were enrolled in the unit. Approximately 21 cadets receive commissions annually with grade point averages near 3.29. There will be an estimated 33 program graduates in the 2009-2010 school year. Detachment 842 enhances Air Force diversity as the largest of six host detachments in the nation at designated Hispanic-serving institutions.

Through a cross-enrollment agreement with St. Mary's University, Army ROTC has been a part of UTSA since 1975. The UTSA Army ROTC Roadrunner Battalion was formally established as a host detachment in September 1983. During the 2008-2009 academic year, 144 cadets were enrolled in the program and 24 were commissioned as second lieutenants. This summer, a UTSA cadet was recognized for outstanding leadership and exceptional military skill during summer leadership training at Fort Lewis, Wash.

UTSA is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Texas and the second largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System. As a multicultural institution of access and excellence, UTSA aims to be a premier public research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA serves more than 28,400 students in 64 bachelor's, 47 master's and 21 doctoral degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and Graduate School. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond.